American coal now pricier than renewables

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US coal power is increasingly more expensive that cleaner alternatives, according to a new study by Energy Innovation, a think tank. The study found that 74 per cent of US coal power plants could be replaced with renewables today at a cost saving to consumer. By 2025, 86 per cent of the coal fleet would be uncompetitive with renewable energy. The findings fly in the face of a policy, under US president Donald Trump, to reinvigorate the country’s moribund coal sector.

Worldwide, the number of coal-fired power plants being developed has dropped dramatically, according to another study by the Global Energy Monitor, Greenpeace India and the Sierra Club, which showed that the number of plants under construction has fallen by nearly 85 per cent since 2015.

“As the cost of clean, renewable energy solutions like wind and solar continue to outpace outdated fossil fuels, it’s only a matter of time before coal is a thing of the past worldwide,” said Neha Mathew-Shah, environmental justice representative for the Sierra Club’s International Programme.

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